Sting: David Bowie and Prince were gods

Sting believes David Bowie and Prince had "god-like qualities".

The 65-year-old musician has said he often forgets that the two musical icons - who both tragically passed away this year - aren't immortal, dubbing their passing as a "huge loss to the world of music".

Speaking to The Sun newspaper, the former Police frontman said: "All of us suffer from the delusion that cultural icons like Prince and David Bowie are somehow immortal. There's a god-like quality about them.

"They were extraordinary artists and a huge loss to the world of music."

And the 'Shape of My Heart' hitmaker also reflected on his personal connection to both artists, claiming he "greatly admires" Bowie - who died in January from liver cancer - and branding Prince, who suffered an accidental overdose of fentanyl in April, as "unique".

He added: "[Bowie] wrote his own elegy which was an astonishing act of courage. I greatly admire him for that.

"I briefly played bass with [Prince] one night at Wembley. What a unique artist!"

The string of recent deaths in the world of musical legends - most recently including 'Hallelujah' hitmaker Leonard Cohen - has forced the musician to look at mortality in a new light, something which he does in the song '50,000' which features on his new album '57th & 9th'.

Sting - real name Gordon Sumner - said of the track: "I wrote it from the point of view of someone like me, not necessarily entirely me, who's probably lived most of his life.

"He's been the centre of attention. He's had everyone listening to his songs and he's experienced the hubris and feeling of intoxication that comes with it.

"Yet in later life he can admit to himself, 'I really am mortal,' without being morbid."